Method of attaching a bail ear



J- HENCHERT METHOD OF ATTACHING A BAIL EAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 22,1959 Filed Nov. 1, 1955 Ila-:1

v J4 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Sept. 22, 1959 J. HENCHERT METHOD OF ATTACHING ABAIL EAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 1, 1955 IEILEE.

4M 5 ATTORNEYS near United StatesPatent O 7 2,905,125 METHOD OFA'ITACHING A BAIL EAR John Henchert, River Forest, 111., assignor toContinental Can Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication November 1, 1955, Serial No. 544,151

4 Claims. (Cl. 113-120) The present invention relates to a method ofattachment of cars to paint cans, painters buckets and other bucket-typecontainers, for connecting carrying bails to such containers.

The present invention aims to provide for a method of forming atenacious connection between a domed sheet metal ear and a body blankwithout the necessity of providing the blank with an external recess toreceive the beaded end of the domed ear.

According to the present invention, a portion of the body blank ispressed outwardly to provide the blank with an external boss. The beadedend of the domed ear is placed around this boss when the ear and blankare relatively assembled, and the head is then flattened. Thisflattening, so changes the radial dimension of the head as to force thelatter into tight interlocking engagement with the side wall of theaforesaid boss, thereby effectively connecting the ear with the bodyblank.

In one form of the invention, the side wall of the boss is cylindricaland becomes deformed under the pressure exerted by the bead when thelatter is flattened, thereby producing the desired interlock of saidwall and the flattened bead. In another form of the invention, the sidewall of the boss is preformed in the shape into which the aforesaidcylindrical wall is deformed by the bead pressure, and the bead willthen engage the preformed wall when said bead is flattened. In eithercase, the bead presents a rounded edge to the boss side wall with nodanger of injuring the latter.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear,the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by referenceto the following detailed description, the appended claims and theseveral views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a paint can or the like provided withbail ears in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing one form of the domed andbeaded ear initially assembled with the body blank in readiness for beadflattening.

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the bead flattened and the boss sidewall deformed into interlocking engagement with the flattened bead.

Figures 4 and 5 are views similar to Figures 2 and 3, respectively, butshowing the bead formed by inward instead of outward curling of the baseedge of the domed ear.

Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 correspond to Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively,but disclose constructions in which the side wall of the boss ispre-shaped to engage the flattened bead.

In Figure 1, a conventional paint can or the like 1 has been shown, saidcan having a carrying bail 2 attached to bail ears on the can, one ofthe ears being shown at 3.

Patented Sept. 22, 1959 Inall other views, a portion of a body blank 4is shown, from whichto form the can side wall, and one of the ears 3 isshown on an enlarged scale.

In all forms of the invention herein disclosed, the base edge of thedomed sheet metal ear 3 is formed with a continuous, external tubularbead 5, and the side wall 6 of said domed ear is cylindrical. In Figures2 and 6, the bead 5 is formed by an outward curl 17, whereas in Figures4 and 8, the metal is first turned outwardly at 8 and then curledinwardly at 9.

The sheet metal body blank 4, in all forms of the invention, is providedwith an external boss 10 formed by outwardly pressing a portion of saidblank. In Figures 2 and 4, the side wall 11 of the boss 10 iscylindrical but becomes deformed to the flared shape shown at 11a inFigures 3 and 5 when the bead 5 is deformed into the flat shape shown at12. In Figures 6 to 9, however, the boss side wall 11 is pre-shaped intothe same flared form as that into which the side wall 11 becomesdeformed. In either instance, a curved fillet 13 joins the boss sidewall to the body blank 4.

In assembling, the beaded lower end of the domed ear 3 is placed aroundthe boss 10 as shown in Figures 2, 4, 6 and 8 and the bead 5 is thenflattened as at 12.

During such flattening, if the boss side wall be cylindrical as shown at11 in Figures 2 and 4, the pressure exerted by the bead 5 as its radialdimension is increased will deform said wall 11 into the shape shown at11a in Figures 3 and 5, producing a tight interlock between the ear 3and the body blank 4. If the boss side wall be pre-shaped into theflared form shown at 11 in Figures 6 to 9, the flattened bead 12 willsimply engage this wall 11 tightly to produce the interlock. In eithercase, the flattened head 12 has a curved inner edge 14 tightly receivedin a peripheral groove 15 and contacting with the fillet 13 with nodanger of cutting the boss. Moreover, these curved surfaces may yieldslightly upon each other during curving of the body blank 4 intocylindrical shape to form the container side wall. The union of the ear3 with the body blank 4 will not therefore interfere with this operationand a truly cylindrical shape may thus be imparted to the container sidewall.

The head flattening operation is performed by a suitable press, onemember of which is shown at 16. This member is in the form of a dieforming sleeve and it may well have a shoulder 17 to surround the bead 5and restrain outward widening of the latter during the bead flatteningoperation, thus forcing a greater inward widening of the head intointerlocking engagement with the boss side wall.

While example forms of the invention have been shown for purposes ofillustration, it is to be clearly understood that various changes in thedetails of construction and arrangement of parts may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a method of attaching a domed sheet metal bail attaching ear to asheet metal body blank, the steps of forming the base of the domed earwith a peripheral tubular head of fixed predetermined width, forming thebody blank with an external boss having a continuous side wall,relatively assembling the domed beaded ear and blank and disposing saidtubular bead around said boss side wall, and flattening said tubularbead to inwardly widen the same into interlocking engagement with saidboss side wall.

2. The method defined in claim 1, with the additional step of holdingsaid tubular bead at a fixed and prede- 3 termined circumference againstoutward widening during flattening of said bead, thereby assuring apredetermined inward widening of said bead.

3. The method defined in claim 1, in which a cylindrical form isimparted to said boss side wall, and in which the pressure of theinwardly flattening bead is utilized to deform said wall into,interlocking engagement with said bead during bead flattening.

4. The method defined in claim 1, in which said boss side wall ispie-formed to provide a peripheral outwardly opening groove thereinwherein to receive the inner edge of the bead during bead flattening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS WalshFeb. 11, Eason Feb. 9, Miller Nov. 20, Edward Dec. 11, Sebell June 28,Smith Apr. 10, Rollason July 30, Henchert Dec. 14,

